Pediatric POLST Workshop a Success
The inaugural Pediatric POLST Workshop was held in collaboration with the Children's Hospice and Palliative Care Coalition in Marin on March 21 with 25 attendees. The curriculum designed for pediatric care teams includes a pediatric adaptation of the What is POLST? PowerPoint presentation, videos of a family member of a seriously-ill child and a physician, role plays, and several conversation aids. The workshop will be offered September 19 in Southern California, and in the fall in the Central Valley.
Revised California POLST Curriculum
CCCC is pleased to announce that the California POLST Curriculum has been revised to reflect changes to the POLST form, as well as added enhancements, including a guide for using the modules with different audiences, a shortened POLST cue card, and additional case studies and discussion questions. Individuals who have attended the two-day POLST train-the-trainer program are eligible to purchase a revised binder and/or flash drive with the updated curriculum. Please contact Erin Henke, POLST Program Manager, for more information.
New Resources
Several new POLST resources have been developed for health care providers:
Clinical FAQs for Providers - frequently asked questions that focus on the clinical aspects of POLST implementation.
Skilled Nursing Facility Guide - a reference guide has been developed in collaboration with the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman, California Association of Health Facilities, and California Association of Long-Term Care Medicine to address concerns raised by the Ombudsman regarding POLST implementation in nursing homes.
POLST Forms are now available in Armenian and Pashto, in addition to the many other translations available.
Coalition & Trainer Newsletters
Future issues of the POLST Update will be sent in May, July, September, and November. In addition, we will be creating e-newsletters for POLST Coalitions and POLST Trainers, with the content being developed by coalition members and trainers. There is a great sense of community among POLST coalitions and trainers, and developing a newsletter for them and by them to share their stories is expected to be a valuable communication tool. If you would like to contribute to the POLST coalition or trainer newsletters, please contact Erin Henke, POLST Program Manager.
Upcoming Trainings
Mark your calendars for these POLST trainings coming up:
POLST: Beginning the Conversation, One-Day POLST Workshop
May 8 in Oakland - come learn the basics of POLST and enhance your skills in facilitating meaningful conversations with patients and families about POLST and goals of care at this one-day workshop.
POLST: It Starts with a Conversation, Two-Day Train-the-Trainer Program
September 20-21 in Loma Linda - learn all the essentials about POLST in this two-day train-the-trainer course using the California POLST curriculum. The training provides opportunities to develop skills for facilitating meaningful conversations with patients and families about POLST and goals of care and ideas for implementing POLST in communities and training other health care providers. Registration will open soon.